Arabic Plural Nouns – Arabic Number of Nouns

When attaching the masculine plural ending to a shortened noun, the final weak letter will be deleted and the masculine plural ending will change to -wn(a) / -yn(a).

–aa→  –aW-uwn(a) →  –a-wn(a)

–aa→  –aW-iyn(a) →  –a-yn(a)

 

–aa→  –aY-uwn(a) →  –a-wn(a)

–aa→  –aY-iyn(a) →  –a-yn(a)

 

 

Example:

رِضَاْ

ridaa

Approval (masc., used as a male proper name)

 

 

 

 

II. Extended Nouns

Extended nouns are nouns that end with a long A vowel followed by a terminal consonant ‘alif or hamza(t) (-aa'<  ـَاْء ).

 

Extended nouns that can take the masculine plural are all masculine singulars, so the extended ‘alif can never be a suffix in this case; it will always be part of the stem (an exception are some rare, obsolete male proper names that have a feminine -aa'<).

 

When attaching the masculine plural ending, the ء will be changed back to its origin (w or y) if the ء itself is not the origin.

 

-aa‘<→  –aa‘–masc. plu. ending

-aa‘<→  –aaW–masc. plu. ending

-aa‘<→  –aaY–masc. plu. ending

 

 

*The figures: ئـ ، ؤ are just alternative joining figures for the hamza(t) أ  (see joining figures for hamza(t)).

It is possible to always keep the hamza(t) unchanged when attaching the dual ending. This is typical of Modern Standard Arabic.

Examples:

 

III. Defective Nouns

Defective nouns are nouns that end with a long I vowel (-iy ـِيْ ) whose terminal y belongs to the root.

When attaching the masculine plural ending to defective nouns, the final-iy ـِيْwill be deleted all together.

–iY→  –iY-uwn(a) →  -uwn(a)

–iY→  –iY-iyn(a) →  -iyn(a)

 

 

Examples:

 

Annexed Masculine Plurals

Annexed masculine plurals  مُلْحَقَاْتُ جَمْعِ الْمُذَكَّرِ الْسَّاْلِمِ are either masculine plurals to which there are no singulars, or masculine plurals whose singulars do not achieve the conditions for receiving the masculine plural ending (e.g. do not refer to male persons, not derived from verbs).

These are remnants from the old days when the use of the masculine plural was not as restricted as it is today. There are several of these words in the classical language; the important ones are the following:

*The final ا is silent.

The last word ‘uloo / ‘ulee lacks its final -n(a) because it exists only in the construct state that is used to form genitive constructions.  Masculine plural nouns (as well as dual nouns) lose their final -n(a) in the construct state; this will be covered later.

The most commonly used annexed masculine plural nouns are the “decade words” أَلْفَاْظُ الْعُقُوْدِ.

 

Extra Note: Modern Variations

In modern spoken Arabic, the masculine plural declension used similarly to Classical Arabic. The usual form of the masculine plural ending in modern spoken Arabic is:

-een

This form is used for all cases as there is no case declension in modern spoken Arabic.

Examples (Urban Central Syrian):

bayyaa”een = male sellers

kazzaabeen = male liars

Syrian Arabic shows a phenomenon of adding the masculine plural ending to irregular plural nouns.

Examples (Urban North Syrian):

wlaideen = male children(أَوْلادِيْن)

shaibeen = male companions (أَصْحَاْبِيْن)

This might be related to confusion by the early Syriac-speaking inhabitants who apparently couldn’t grasp the Arabic irregular plurals easily.

In modern spoken Arabic, the masculine plural (and dual) endings are not inflected for state as they retain the final -n in the construct state.

E.g. in Urban Central Syrian:

bayyaa”een (‘e)l-falaafel = (the) sellers (of) falafel

 

Examples from other Semitic languages (absolute state):

 

Exercise 1

Can you change the following singular masculine nouns to masculine plural nouns in the subject case?

 

Answers

 

 

Exercise 2

Can you change the following masculine plural nouns to singular nouns?

 

 

Answers